Key developments on March 14:
- Kyiv says Ukrainian troops 'regrouped' in Kursk Oblast, deny encirclement
- Ukrainian drones strike Russian gas facilities, missile depot, source claims
- Ukrainian drones strike Tuapse oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, governor says
- Putin still seeks control over Ukraine despite US peace efforts, WP reports
- Ukraine, US discuss fate of Russian-occupied territories, Zelensky says
Ukraine's General Staff on March 14 denied claims that Ukrainian troops were encircled in Kursk Oblast amid Russia's ongoing offensive in the region.
The General Staff said that Russia had been reporting an alleged encirclement of Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast "for political purposes and to put pressure on Ukraine and its partners."
The statement came after U.S. President Donald Trump said that his administration held "productive discussions" with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 13, during which he urged him to "spare" surrounded Ukrainian troops.
"At this very moment, thousands of Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded by the Russian military, and in a very bad and vulnerable position," Trump wrote, without providing any evidence.
Speaking during a meeting of Russia's Security Council, Putin claimed on March 14 that some Ukrainian troops "are blocked" in the embattled Russian region.
Following Trump's remarks, he said that Ukrainian soldiers must surrender in Kursk Oblast.
Neither Trump nor Putin provided evidence that Ukrainian troops are currently surrounded at any location.
"The units have regrouped, moved to more favorable defense lines and are completing their assigned tasks in Kursk Oblast," the General Staff said. "There is no threat of encirclement of our units."
"Our soldiers are repelling the enemy's offensive and inflicting effective fire damage from all types of weapons."
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these reports.
Later in the day, President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on March 14 that the Kursk operation "has completed its task." He said that Ukraine was able to stabilize the situation near Pokrovsk as well.
Oleg Sukhov
Ukrainian drones strike Russian gas facilities, air defense missile depot, source claims
Drones launched by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) struck two gas compressor stations and a warehouse storing missiles for Russia's S-300/S-400 air defense systems, an intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent on March 14.
The long-range drones targeted gas compressor stations in Russia's Tambov and Saratov oblasts, according to the source.
Another strike reportedly hit a missile depot near the village of Radkovka in Belgorod Oblast, triggering a detonation of stored ammunition.
"The SBU conducted another successful special operation on enemy territory, causing significant damage to Russia's budget and reducing its ability to finance and sustain the war," the source said.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
Ukrainian drones strike Tuapse oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, governor says
Ukrainian drones struck the Tuapse oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai overnight on March 14, setting fire to a gasoline storage tank, regional Governor Veniamin Kondratiev said.
"The area of the fire is more than 1,000 square meters, and emergency services are working," Kondratiev wrote on Telegram, claiming there were no casualties.
Russian pro-government media outlet Mash reported that the fire was caused by debris from a downed drone. Eyewitnesses reportedly heard a series explosions over several minutes.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims. Kyiv has not commented on the attack.
The Tuapse oil refinery, with an annual processing capacity of 12 million tons, plays a key role in supplying fuel to the Russian military. Following an earlier strike, the facility underwent an emergency shutdown in May 2024.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
Putin still seeks control over Ukraine despite US peace efforts, WP reports
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not abandoned his maximalist goal of controlling Ukraine, despite U.S. efforts to broker a ceasefire, the Washington Post (WP) reported on March 13, citing sources familiar with classified U.S. intelligence reports.
Putin has a "long-standing desire to restore ‘Mother Russia'" and remains determined to assert power over Kyiv, one official said commenting on the U.S. intelligence assessment circulated among President Donald Trump's administration on March 6.
Some officials reportedly believe that even if Russia agrees to a temporary truce, Moscow will use the pause to rearm, violate the agreement, and create provocations to blame on Ukraine.
Moscow views Trump as weak, lacking a basic set of principles, and potentially open to manipulation, a European intelligence official told WP, citing fresh intelligence.
If a permanent ceasefire is reached, Russia is likely to revert to the "hybrid" or non-military tactics it used to undermine Ukraine before its full-scale invasion in 2022, the official added.
U.S. officials are reportedly cautious in assessing what peace terms Putin might agree to, but see no indication that he has backed down from his demand to bring Kyiv into Russia's sphere of influence.
Ukraine, US discuss fate of Russian-occupied territories, Zelensky says
The fate of Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories was discussed with the U.S. during the talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on March 14.
Zelensky's comments come days after Kyiv agreed to a 30-day ceasefire put forth by the U.S. during the negotiations in Jeddah. Russian President Vladimir Putin placed demands in order to begin talks on a possible ceasefire that included guarantees to not mobilize or train new troops, nor receive military aid during from the West.
Previously, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Ukraine-U.S. talks included discussions about potential "territorial concessions" as part of a negotiated settlement with Russia.
According to Zelensky, discussions of the territories were not part of the meeting's agenda. He reiterated that Ukraine will not recognize any occupied territories as part of Russia under a potential future peace agreement with Moscow.
"The American side goes into details. For example, the city of Enerhodar... You can't just say: here's the (Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power) Plant, and the city is separate. I believe that the issue of territories is the most difficult one after the issue of establishing a ceasefire," Zelensky said.
Control over the nuclear plant in occupied Enerhodar was discussed during U.S.-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia, U.S. President Donald Trump said.
Note from the author:
Ukraine War Latest is put together by the Kyiv Independent news desk team, who keep you informed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you value our work and want to ensure we have the resources to continue, join the Kyiv Independent community.
Oleg Sukhov
